What is the Bible? The Bible has been called the 'Word of God in the words of man'. Not that the Bible contains God's word, but that it is God's word - His divine revelation to all. In the second letter of Peter we read - "And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2_Peter_1:19-21). The authority of the Bible is seen in the following: What the Bible says about itself - 2_Samuel_23:2; Jeremiah_1:9; Matthew_5:18; 1_Corinthians_14:36-38; 2_Peter_1:4 & 1:16-21; 2_Timothy_3:14-17; How Jesus used the Scriptures. He quoted Scripture as His final authority (eg: Matthew 4; and John_10:34-35) Jesus could take His stand on the absolute authority of the Scriptures because He had total and complete knowledge and conviction that it was authoritatively God's Word. There was no doubt, so the truth of the Word stood inviolate. The Bible is important because... It is the 'manufacturer's instruction manual'; Our faith must be based on truth which is God breathed (inspired); It is vital to have a fixed reference outside of our own ideas; God's Word carries God's authority and effectiveness:

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it". (Isaiah_55:10-11)

Recommended reading: The Lion Handbook of the Bible Who Moved the Stone, by Frank Morison (Faber). Is the New Testament History?, by Paul Barnett (Hodder and Stoughton). The Ring of Truth, by J.B. Phillips. See also Participant's Resources

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Created on: 28 August 1997 Last updated: 28 August 1997